Spirit Riders, Episode 9: Hard Decisions
by chibiwriter
Summary: Pleance's latest monster has one thing the other's didn't; brains. And its plan is hitting a little too close for Jeanie. With Eric in danger, what's going to be her decision?
1. Booordem!

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

_Failure after failure after failure. To say his Master was displeased was an understatement of massive proportions. As it was, Pleance was furious. Those Rangers. And Dayton. Especially Dayton. Millenias had he waited for his chance to kill the despicable being – only for his precious phoenix to once more resurrect him. Stupid to have not thought of that possibility – except the human girl had shown no indication she had any ability to tap into her gift. Obviously, he had been mistaken._

_His Master hated mistakes. Especially mistakes as foolish as the ones he had been making. _

_But what to do? Throwing monster after monster at them obviously did not stop them. He had gone after their family – with near disastrous results. He should have just killed the simpering female and her male while he had had the chance. Instead, his Frissons had let them go. His rage – and his punishment – had been terrible._

_Beaten, time and time again by children barely old enough to fight properly. It mattered not that they were rangers, with powers gifted to them by the souls of the hated Life Spirits. His ego would not let him admit – would never let him admit – them to be adversaries worthy of his attention. _

_But he had a plan. His first great one had not worked, but his second plan would not – he would not allow it to – fail. It was a simple matter, really. All he needed was time…_

* * *

Homework. The bane of every teen's life, ranger or not. And, right now, David was buried up to his elbows in it. Living a triple life – as a normal teen, a ninja student and a ranger – made it difficult to keep up with all his homework assignments. Luckily Pleance hadn't attacked this week – yet.

Actually, come to think of it, Pleance had been rather quiet for the past couple of weeks. It made David twitchy whenever there was a long period of silence from their enemy – because it was usually followed by a harrowing plan that they managed to prevent only by the skin of their teeth. Dayton was still working on the location of Pleance's lair – when David had last asked him how he was going about it, he'd said something about the residues of evil and tracing them back to perhaps a portal that led to an alternate dimension or, better yet, something in this dimension, but probably hidden through magical means. David had quickly learnt not to ask him again.

Jeanie, Eva and Ris were off doing 'girl' things – as Jay referred to it. Apparently, Jeanie had a big date with Eric this weekend. David was, quite frankly, surprised the couple had lasted this long, considering how many times Jeanie had had to disappear without explanation. The boy must have the patience of…Dayton, really. Actually, he'd have to have Dayton's patience to deal with Jeanie full stop. David grinned at the thought.

Jay, too, was sequestered in his room, doing homework. Aunt Jasmine had, apparently, threatened bodily harm if Jay didn't get his homework done by the day's end. Knowing Aunt Jasmine, David didn't doubt it.

Trev had – being Trev and annoyingly efficient and clever – somehow managed to finish his homework during the week, in between their ninja classes and ranger training. Of course, he'd probably been doing it when David and Jay had been slacking off skateboarding and surfing and the such but that was besides the point. The point was that Trev had managed to free up his whole weekend to help his dad re-configure the controls in Ninja Ops so that if ever anything like the debacle of last week happened again, they wouldn't be so ill-prepared.

David thumped his head against his history homework, wondering why he needed to know about what some long dead dude had done centuries ago with tea and Boston when there was a millenias old…thing – he still wasn't quite sure what Pleance was – running around, causing havoc and pretty much trying to destroy him and his friends.

"Mum! David's sleeping!"

At Mary Ann's voice – loud and piercing and right outside his now open bedroom door – David jolted upright, grabbing the pen he'd dropped. "Am not! Shut up you little sneak."

Mary Ann smirked, stuck her tongue out at him and bopped away. Shaking his head and wondering where the sweet little girl who'd followed him everywhere had gone, David stared down at his barely started essay, scratched out a few more words before he lost interest and threw his pen down again. Maybe doing maths would get his brain working.

An hour later, David was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, homework abandoned. He was booored. He half wanted Pleance to send out another monster just for something to do. Something other than homework that is.

Flopping onto his belly, he reached out, grabbed his phone. Maybe Aunt Jasmine would let Jay take a break.

"'lo?"

"Hey. Jay. Free?"

There was something that sounded like paper rustling, a book dropping then Jay cursed. "What? No, man. Got to get all this done or mum'll have my hide. Hey, have you done Denver's thing?"

"Denver gave us a thing? What'd he give us?"

"That thing. On esters and carboxylic acids and stuff."

"Oh. That thing. That's not due 'till Tuesday."

"I know but mum says I have to do _everything _today. Oh, crap. Here she comes. Gotta go. Talk to you later man." Jay hung up before David could say anything else.

Sighing, David put the receiver back, then buried his head in his pillow and kicked at his sheets. Man, he was so bored out of his _skull_ he felt like screaming just for something to do.

"Wow. Temper tantrum. Should I come back later?"

David jerked his head up, stared at Eva standing in his doorway, looking at him with a half smile on his face. "Eva! I – uh." Smooth, Bradley. Smooth. Already flushing and feeling even more stupid for it, David sat up, hugging his pillow to his chest as he did. "I thought you were doing something with Jeanie and Ris."

Eva's half smile turned into a full smile as she walked into the room, took his desk's chair. "She's all set. Just have to get there an hour before seven-thirty to help her get ready."

"Jeanie needs help _and_ an hour to get ready for a date?"

"Hey, it's a big date. Nice, fancy restaurant. You know, the kind you have to reserve to get in. I heard it's really good."

"Hmm," David replied, feeling kind of uncomfortable though he couldn't – wouldn't – say why. Stupid Eric. "So where're they now?"

"Jeanie's at home, relaxing. I think she's doing coding. Don't know how that's relaxing but," Eva shrugged. "It's Jeanie. Ris said something about helping Kelly at Storm Chargers."

"Any excuse to be at Storm Chargers," David said with a grin. Kelly and Ris got along like fire and oil.

"So…" Eva said after a few moments' silence. "Any reason for the tantrum I interrupted or did you just feel like acting like a three year old?"

David let out a short laugh. "I was bored."

"So you decided to have a tantrum?"

"It wasn't a tantrum. It was…releasing excess energy."

Eva snorted. "Call it what you will; it still looked like a temper tantrum."

David laughed and chucked his pillow at her. She caught it easily, hugging it to her chest. "Well, bored boy, what shall we do?"

David thought about it, head cocked slightly. Then he grinned. "Feel like surfing?"

* * *

Emerging from the cool shadows that was Ninja Ops, Trev paused, blinking to adjust his sight to the bright sun. Walking up behind him, Cam nearly walked into his son. "Whoa." He put his hand on Trev's shoulder. "Sorry."

Trev shrugged. "S'all right. My fault anyway."

Cam couldn't stop the half smile tugging up his lips. It was often said Trev was a carbon copy of his dad – right down to his reticent personality. Indeed, it was mostly true; Trev was quiet, more often than not observing than participating, as in love with technology and its intricacies as Cam was. But he had fire – or thunder – that was all Leanne.

"Mm. You have everything you need to give this Dayton?"

Trev patted his pocket, nodded. "Got it."

Cam nodded and they walked in silence across the mostly empty Ninja Academy – mostly empty but for the teachers and students that lived in boarding. Cam nodded to each he passed. Trev did too after Cam nudged him for ignoring the first few.

"Dad, I was wondering…"

Cam paused at the edge of the pool. Opposite them, the illusion of a waterfall fell. "Yes?" He asked when Trev didn't continue.

"How'd you get mum to go out with you?"

"Eh?" Cam blinked. Trev wasn't looking at him – was staring stoically at the waterfall actually – and there was just a hint of colour high in his cheeks. "How did I get your mum to go out with me?"

Trev nodded.

"Uh…"

"I mean," Trev rushed out. "You knew her quite a while before you guys went out right? Because she was Uncle Hunter's and Uncle Blake's friend and she was there for Uncle Blake's and Aunt Tori's wedding but you knew her way before that right?"

Cam blinked slowly and wondered what his son was getting at. "Well, yes. Whenever your grandfather Omino came over to the Wind Ninja academy, your mum used to accompany him."

"You met when you were really young then?"

"I was about eight, yes."

"So you've, like, pretty much known her all your life, right?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Then how'd you get her to go out with you?"

Cam stared at Trev then, slowly, smiled. Ah. Of course. "I asked her."

"What?" Trev turned, eyes jerking to meet his dad's. "Just that?"

Cam nodded, still smiling. "Just that."

"But what…uh…how did you know she wasn't, you know, seeing someone else?"

Cam had to work hard not to laugh. "I did some research before hand, of course. Made sure she wasn't seeing anyone."

"Oh. Of course," Trev echoed. He shifted back and forth, rocking on his heels.

Cam stifled another laugh and moved forward, onto the water. He paused, halfway across the pool, to look at his fidgeting son. "Coming?"

"What?" Trev's head jerked up, then he hurried across. "Yeah. Course."

They made it through the waterfall and walked to the waiting car in silence. Trev was reaching for the front passenger side's handle when there was a strange tune. Cam's head went up. "What was…"

He trailed off, watching as Trev lifted his wrist, pressed his fingers to the thick green lined silver bracelet he always wore. "Yes Dayton?"

"Trevor." The voice that came from somewhere on the bracelet, was familiar. The voice, full of calm, that had instructed him, step by step, on how to open a portal to an underground chamber he'd never seen or known about. "There is a monster in the…what is that place where all the people in the – suits is it? – go?"

"The business district."

"Yes. That is where they have appeared."

"Are there Frissons with it?"

"Yes, several."

"The others?"

"They are all on their way."

"All right. I'll be right there."

It was sort of scary, Cam thought, to watch his seventeen year old son's face transform, from being so vulnerably young and embarrassed to calm and warrior hard. He looked so grown up and a memory suddenly flashed; Trev, six years old, sitting on the floor and surrounded by the remains of a cell phone, looking up at him with wide innocent eyes. He'd held up his hands, holding the phone's battery, and had spoken in a solemn voice, "This isn't the only thing that makes mummy's phone work."

Trev was looking at him, Cam realised, with a question in his eyes. Cam nodded, managed a smile. "Go. I'll cover for you."

He grinned. "Thanks dad."

He shifted his stance, feet moving to shoulder width, his morpher hand lifting up across his chest. The silver and green bracelet wrapped loosely around his wrist suddenly disappeared in a flash of bright green light. It faded away to reveal his morpher.

"Centaur Rider, Ranger Form!"

Cam raised his hand when bright green lights suddenly appeared above his son's head. They circled over Trev, slowly circled down, so bright he couldn't bear to look at them directly. When the lights faded, where once stood a boy who'd looked so embarrassed only moments before was a ranger, suited in green, with white bonds circled around his wrists and the top of his boots. The ranger saluted him, quick and cocky, then turned and ran.

Cam stared after his quickly retreating figure silently. There was a time that had been him. Now he was a parent and he held far more fear than when he'd faced his own monsters. He remembered what his dad had once told him, long after he'd put down his morpher for another team. "It's hardest for those on the sidelines, to watch their loved ones fight and know the only thing you can do is wait and pray for the best."

He was, as always, right.

* * *

_A/N: I have no idea how long it's been between episodes but I know it's been _ages_ and I have to apologize profusely for my inability to update this series in a reasonable time. I'm made of fail . So, again, I apologize and I hope those who read this will enjoy it._


	2. Another monster

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

"Well, looky there. Another monster and his little friends."

Eva, though it couldn't be seen, grinned at Jay's bored tone. Ris just out right laughed. "That," Trev decided, "sounds vaguely wrong in some way."

Neither the monster nor the Frissons accompanying it seemed to notice the morphed rangers standing at the end of the street, watching the action. The Frissons seemed to be entertaining themselves by pointlessly grabbing parked cars and throwing them into buildings. The monster simply walked in the middle of the street, blasting randomly at the pavement and the buildings.

"You'd think, being the evil genius he supposedly is, Pleance would tell his monster something to do other than 'blast/laser/fire at random buildings and other things'."

They all laughed at Jeanie's dry comment. That seemed to get the monster's attention. It let out a roar, loud and vicious enough to remind the rangers of a lion. It stared running.

"Brace yourselves," David muttered.

The rangers planted their feet, took their ready stances, fists raised and ready. The monster kept charging and, behind it, the Frissons finally noticed what it was doing and began to follow. Closer and closer and closer until –

"Now!"

At David's shout, Jeanie, Trev, Ris and Eva shot forward, vaulting over the monster and landing, feet first, into the Frissons. David and Jay blocked the monster's first strike, pushing it back. David ducked as Jay kicked out, catching the monster's head. David went low with a quick one-two-three strike to the monster's belly.

Eva ducked under a Frisson's outstretched claws, grabbing the arm and driving her knee into its belly. Ris helped her out with a chop into the back of its neck and Eva finished it off with a short armed punch onto its outstretched nose. As it exploded in colourful shards, she whirled and ploughed her foot into another's head. Jeanie and Trev were working off each other. Jeanie grabbed Trev's hand and he braced himself, turning in a circle as Jeanie pushed off the ground and kicked out at the Frissons circled around them. He grunted as her feet touched base again, then whipped out his own leg, foot slamming into the approaching Frisson's belly.

Jay bent at the waist, allowing David to roll over his back, legs out to block the monster's own punches. He landed, Jay snapped upright, kicking back to hit the monster in it's belly. It staggered back, David danced forward, slammed his fists forward. The monster caught pushed his arms back, lifted its foot and thumped him into his belly. Jay dropped down, sweeping its lone leg out from under it. It fell hard enough to shake the ground, giving the two rangers enough time to back away, catch their breath. "All right?"

David nodded. "Fine."

Trev kicked a Frisson in the jaw, spun around to punch another in the face and thumped a fallen one on the top of its head. "Seventeen….eighteen…nineteen…"

Ris grinned as she swept four Frissons feet from under them and cheerfully played jump-on-the-head with them. "Eighteen…nineteen…twenty…twenty-one! Still ahead of you!"

Eva rolled her eyes. "I can't believe it – they're doing it again."

Jeanie grunted as a Frisson tripped over her outstretched foot. She dispatched of it easily and turned to confront a couple of others rushing towards her. "You wanna join in?"

"Uh–" Eva bent down, let Jeanie shove a Frisson onto her back, then shot upright, twisting her torso as she did and sending it flying into a group of its comrades. "No thanks."

"Nice move," Ris joined her, slapping back to back. "Where'd you get it? Dayton?"

Eva shook her head. "Hockey. My oldest brother plays it."

Ris's grin was obvious in her voice. "Cool!" She kicked out, knocked an approaching Frisson down.

Trev grunted as he got hit on the shoulder, grabbed the Frisson's foot, spun and pushed it. The Frisson went flying, and Jeanie held out her fist, allowing the Frisson's own momentum to finish it. Ris bounced around, easily avoiding the Frisson's attacks, fists striking out over and over. She suddenly went to her hands, her feet moving fast enough to knock a Frisson on the jaw. It shattered while she kicked out, moving across the battlefield on her hands.

"Ris!"

At Trev's warning, she launched her whole body up, so evading the Frisson's claws as it swished harmlessly where her wrists had been. Twisting her body in mid-air, she split her legs, knocking two Frissons back, managing to –barely – land on her feet. "Nice," Jeanie said, patting her on the shoulder. "Don't try it again."

Ris shrugged, "been wanting to try it for a while."

"Trying it in training first is advisable," Trev said, kicking as Frisson on where its brow would be, then going low to sweep another off its feet. He stomped its head.

David, meanwhile, was jumping up, fists knotted together, slamming them on the monster's shoulder. Jay jumped as well, moving forward while David moved back, spinning his legs and catching the side of its head with his shin. The monster staggered back, let out a wounded roar, and struck out. Jay got caught on the belly, grabbing the monster's enormous paw as he went flying through the air. David stepped forward, kicking the paw at the elbow bend. Jay let go, landed on the ground with a thump as the monster went for David. He danced back, ducked under the blow aimed for his head, kicked it in the belly, spun on an anchor leg, and knocked its other paw away as it came for him again.

He never saw the laser until it hit him, slamming him back, searing him, even through his suit. He hit the ground with a grunt.

"That's it." The growl came from Jay, as he pushed himself up. He held his hand out, the jewel on the top of his glove glowing. "Minotaur's Sabre!"

The weapon appeared in a shimmer of light. The blade was pure black, shining and deadly. The hilt was black as well, and perfectly contoured to fit his hand. He used it as leverage to push himself to his feet.

The monster shifted its massive feet, and spoke for the first time. "Bring it."

Despite himself, Jay paused, laughed. The monster's voice was high and squeaky, reminding him of cartoon mice. "You have _got_ to be kidding me. Come on, that isn't your voice, is it?"

"Fight me!" The monster yelled, still in the same squeaky voice. "Or are you too cowardly to?

"Dude," David came abreast of Jay, propped his elbow on the black ranger's shoulder. "One; that come on attack thing is just too lame. Two; that seriously cannot be your voice. I mean, we heard you _roar_."

With another aforementioned roar, the monster charged. The rangers leapt apart, David calling his weapon as he did a quick roll on the ground. Jay, meanwhile, slashed the monster, bringing its attention to him while David called for his sword. The monster turned mid charge, going for Jay in a blind rage. Jay let out a laugh eerily reminiscent of his dad's, shifted his grip, turned his blade and slashed the monster in the side. He dodged to the right, changed his grip again and swung the blade into its shoulder.

It yowled – yes, _yowled_ – and hit out. Jay fell back but his sabre was still stuck in the monster's shoulder. Before it could rip the blade out, David charged, sword forward. He swung it, slashing the monster across its chest. Jay leapt forward, somersaulting over the monster, hand whipping out and wrenching his sabre free. It roared.

David slapped shoulder-to-shoulder with his cousin. "Up, up and away?" Jay asked, a mad grin spread over the face hidden by his visor.

David grinned as well, altered his grip and brought his glimmering sword up. "Let's do this."

They leapt up, blades held high, at the monster prepared for a forward attack. It looked up, seemed to freeze as they arced through the air, bringing their blades down. Black and clear blades clanged together, overlapping one another as they both buried themselves in the concrete.


	3. Simple Pleasures

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

Jay grunted. "What the hell?"

"It disappeared," David panted and tugged at his sword. "Ran."

"Yellow bellied coward," Jay muttered and, with a heave, pulled his sword free. He landed hard on his ass.

David, unable to help himself, burst out laughing as the others ran up. "Frissons disappeared," Trev repeated, then paused, taking in Jay on the ground, clutching his sabre, while David leant against his sword – still buried in the middle of the road – and howled with laughter. "What happened?"

"Monster disappeared when we were about to take its head off – literally," Jay added, getting up and resisting the urge to rub his sore posterior.

"Need a little help there David?" Jeanie asked the red ranger, who'd finally managed to stop laughing, and was now tugging at the hilt of his sword.

"Nah," he grunted, pulled harder, "I got i – ah!" He let out a startled shout when his sword came free, landing him on his ass. It was Jay's turn to laugh.

"Like that now?" Jay taunted, sneering.

"Shut up," David muttered, accepting Trev's hand to haul himself up. "Damn, that really does hurt."

"You okay?" Eva asked, opening her visor so she could see better.

David nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much," he added with a grimace as he opened his visor. "The dude just ran."

Jeanie nodded. "Yeah, and the Frissons went with it."

David looked around. "Power down."

The other rangers followed suit, David's and Jay's weapons disappearing as well. Jeanie checked her watch. "Have to go," she said, "only an hour 'till Eric picks me up. Damnit."

"We'll come with," Eva said, following her. "We said we'd help you get ready, remember?" She added when Jeanie looked at her.

"Yep!" Ris grinned, nearly skipping along. "Hair, make-up, clothes, shoes."

Jeanie covered her eyes. "Oh. God."

The boys watched the girls leave. Trev hunched his shoulders, punching his fists into the front pockets of his jeans. Jay looked at him, opening his mouth and shut it at David's warning shake of the head. "Jay," David said casually. "You finished your homework?"

It was worth it, David thought, to see Trev's reluctant smile when Jay's eyes bugged out. "Damnit David!" He was off and running before David had even started laughing.

"Want to talk about it?" David asked once he'd wound down.

Trev raised a brow. "Jay's homework? Nah, thanks."

David sighed and squashed the urge to punch Trev. "You idiot. I meant Jeanie."

Trev thought about pretending ignorance but decided the effort wouldn't be worth it. "She's got a boyfriend."

"You like her."

"That's besides the point." In frustration, Trev kicked the street, the holes David's and Jay's blades had created. "There are plenty of guys out there who like girls who already have boyfriends."

"I doubt those 'plenty of guys who like girls who already have boyfriends' have liked said girls for," David did a quick calculation, gave up. Maths wasn't exactly his strong suit. "Since we were twelve and realised our 'cousins' were actually girls instead of…how did you put it? 'Sexless entities'."

Trev winced at the memory. "Don't remind me. Jeanie didn't speak to me for a week."

"A week during which you were unbearable to be with," David recalled. "Of course, Jeanie's revenge was hilarious."

"Don't remind me about that either." Trev actually shuddered. He'd ended up with flour and eggs in places he'd never thought flour and eggs could end up.

"The point is," David said, "you're hung up on Jeanie and you've been hung up on her since we were twelve."

Trev scowled. "How is that a point?"

"And," David continued blithely, "if you've been stuck on her this long and haven't made a move, you're either never going to or – more likely since I know you – you've been building up to it." The blond grinned at the look on his cousin's face. "You have. I knew I was right. Who've you asked for advice? Your dad?"

Trev jerked his head.

"Anyone else?"

"No."

David paused, stared at him. "You're kidding me."

Trev's stare was steady. "No. I'm not."

David waited a beat, still hoping for the catch line. It didn't come. "Come _on_ Trev. You have more sense than to ask only your _dad _for advice on a girl."

"What's wrong with asking my dad? I'm not the only one who asks their dad for advice on a girl."

"Not everyone's dad is a genius who only began dating when he turned twenty."

"He was a bit busy with other stuff."

David ignored that comment. "I mean, heck, I think _my_ dad has more dating experience than your dad."

Trev's brows arched. "Your dad took two years to ask your mum out."

David flushed. "That's beside the point."

"Sure it's not." Trev smirked, then paused when he heard voices. "Uh…is that who I think it is?"

David cocked his head. "Oh, crap. Police."

"There is no way we can explain why we're at the site of a recent monster attack."

"Uh…curiosity?" David tried a winning smile. His effort was rewarded with a bland look from Trev. "Or not," he concluded. "Let's go."

"Uh-uh. I'm not Relocating. I still get a headache whenever I Relocate people."

David rolled his eyes. "Not the only way we can get away from here." With that he ninja streaked away.

Trev shook his head, murmured under his breath, "I can't believe I forgot about that." And he ninja streaked after David.

* * *

"Okay. Okay." Carefully, Eva backed away, inspected her creation. "Done."

Jeanie opened her eyes, would have scowled if Ris hadn't known her well and kicked her. "Ow!"

"No frowning," Ris warned. "You'll spoil the effect."

"Effect? What effect?"

Ris and Eva looked at each other, rolled their eyes as one, and Ris grabbed Jeanie, spinning her towards the mirror. Jeanie's eyes widened. "That's me?" She squeaked, cleared her throat. "That's me."

Eva grinned, pleased. "Yes. Yes it is."

Jeanie stared at her reflection in the mirror. Ris had done something with her hair so it fell around her shoulders and face in soft waves. She'd pulled a hank of hair out of the way, twisted it and clipped it up, leaving Jeanie's face framed only around the sides. Eva had done the make up, somehow managing to make Jeanie's skin more luminous, her eyes wider and more bright blue that usual. They'd hidden her glasses and forced her to wear contacts so the bright blue weren't half hidden by lenses. Her lips were a deep pink that matched her strapless dress. The dress itself hugged her torso and then burst into pieces of thin cloth of the same colour that somehow actually worked, ending just below her knees. She wore high heels, with ankle straps that went half way up her calves. The strap across her toes glinted with jewels, and her toenails were slicked with pink, matching her pink fingernails.

"Holy…what did you guys _do_ to me?"

Eva tilted her head. "Do you really want to go through the whole spiel?"

Jeanie shook her head. "No. It was just…an exclamation." She reached up, twined her fingers through the ends of her hair. "It looks so cool."

Ris grinned. "We know! This is so much fun!" She turned to Eva. "She never lets me do girly stuff with her. Or to her."

Eva's smile widened. "Ah, well, what can I say? I'm….good."

Jeanie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, don't let it get to your head." She tried a little twirl, pleased when her skirt flared out. "Nice."

"We know. Especially since it took us a _whole_ day to find it," Ris grimaced.

"It didn't take us a whole day."

"We got to the mall went it opened, barely managed to leave before it closed. That constitutes the whole day in my book." Eva reached out, flicked back a lock of hair that tickled at Jeanie's chin. "But…I have to say, it was worth it."

Jeanie rolled her eyes. "You're such a girl."

Eva looked down at her figure, looked up. "Yeah, I noticed that too."

Ris burst out laughing, then stopped, perking up at the sound of the doorbell. "I'll get it," she sang out before racing out the door.

"Oh crap." Jeanie lunged for her handbag, started running out the door. Her progress came to a screeching stop when Eva stepped in front of her. "What?"

"No running. Doesn't look good. And besides, you'll break your ankle in those heels."

Jeanie nearly scowled, then remembered Ris's warning. "What's the point in wearing these things if they're a danger to my well being?"

Eva smirked. "They make your legs look good."

"Oh, well, that makes all the difference."

Eva ignored the sarcasm. "Yes, it does."

With a frustrated growl, Jeanie went around her, quickly hurrying down the stairs. Eva followed her, a smile curling around her lips. This was going to be satisfyingly fun.

Ris was just letting Eric in. Hunter was hovering at the doorway to the living room. Carla appeared, took his arm and literally dragged him away, clamping a hand over his mouth before he could complain. Eva bit her lip to stop the laugh bubbling while Jeanie just sent a grateful look towards her mum, who nodded in reply. Ris spotted Jeanie, let her grin spread over her face. "There she is," she murmured to Eric.

The boy didn't reply. He didn't think he could reply. Jeanie, now walking down the stairs at a normal pace, blinked at his expression. "You all right Eric?"

He caught his wits, remembered he had a tongue and used it; "yeah, I'm all right. You look…wow. You just look wow."

Jeanie's expression was pure pleasure. She took the hand he held out. "Thanks."

"You ready to go?"

Jeanie turned to where Eva and Ris now sat at the top of the stairs, raised a brow. "I don't know. Am I?"

Ris laughed. Eva nodded. "Go at it," she said, waving airily.

"Have fun," Ris added with another laugh.

The door closed smartly behind them.

* * *

"And I am done." With a sigh, Jay tossed his pen on the papers piled on his desk, sat back with his head braced on his hands. It was only then he became aware of the sounds of his game system coming from the room adjoined to his bedroom.

Frowning, he got out of his chair, headed for the adjoining door, trying to work the kinks of neck as he went. Pushing the door open with his foot, he frowned at the sight that greeted him. David and Trev sat in two of his several bean bags, playing his game console. Trev, it seemed, was, as usual, beating David. Jay scowled. "What're you two doing?"

Trev barely glanced at him as he replied. "Playing Tekkan. Damnit!"

"Hah!" David's grin was feral. "Bastard."

"Am not." Trev bared his teeth, worked his thumbs faster. "Hah right back at you, dickhead."

Jay slid into another bean bag, sprawled his legs out. "I can't believe mum let you guys play and not me."

Trev's grin was quick. "She likes us better."

Jay snorted but didn't reply turning his full attention to the screen. A content hour passed in relative silence, broken only by the noises from the TV and David's and Trev's ever colourful insults. "Come on, come on," David muttered, leaning forward in his seat. His character was close to K.O. but he was in a combo. As long as Trev's character didn't touch him, he was golden.

The strange tune that came from no modern instruments filled the air, jolting all three. David cursed when his thumbs slid off the controller and Trev delivered the knock out punch. "Shit, shit, shit!" With a growl, he lifted his wrist, pressed his index finger and thumb against the silver bracelet. "Dayton, David here."

"David. The monster is back. It seems to be targeting one building in general."

David narrowed his eyes, his heart leaping to his throat. Something was wrong. He could feel it. "What's…what's the name of the building? It should be somewhere on the building."

"One moment…it is called Simple Pleasures."

Trev paled. Jay, seeing him in the corner of his eyes, looked at him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

His cousin was already up, heading towards the window, pulling it open as he replied; "that's the name of the restaurant Jeanie's date's supposed to be at." He dived out.

David and Jay didn't bother looking at each other as they followed suit.


	4. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

Simple Pleasures must have been a simple but elegant restaurant. The morphed rangers could see it in the traces that were left. The sign hung from a corner. Jay shot it down at David's instruction. It crashed down in front of the hole that had once been the front of the building. Glass was strewn everywhere, along with the remains of tables, chairs, plates, cutlery and food. It looked like it had been pretty, with lots of splashes of bright colour. Petals and the stems they belonged to lay littered about the place.

Most of the patrons crowded the walls of the restaurant. Some were crying, some were pale with shock. "Let's get them out of here." David ordered, moving to where a young family of four huddled together.

"Jeanie?" Trev asked, so soft only David, who he crouched beside, could hear.

David shook his head, held out his gloved hand. "We seek her out, her identity could be compromised. Can't afford that."

Trev nodded though David could tell her wasn't happy. The red ranger forced himself to turn his thoughts from Jeanie to the innocents that were obviously scared stiff. "Are you all right? Are you hurt anywhere?"

The man, slowly, shook his head. "We're all right," he said and the young girl in his arms whimpered.

"Someone got hurt," the woman beside him whispered. "We heard someone scream."

David looked at Trev, nodded towards Ris. "Take Phoenix. Find whoever it is."

Trev nodded, got up and headed towards Ris. David carefully helped the family to their feet. "Thank you," the woman said softly, gripping his hand tightly.

David helped them through the rubble, watched them go on their way. Jay joined him at the giant hole, shaking his head. "Half of them were just too scared to move."

"How're their states of mind?"

"Some are shocked," Eva said, coming up on his other side. "They say it was so sudden. One blast and then nothing. No one even saw the monster."

"What about whoever Phoenix is healing? How bad is it?"

Eva, who'd been working near where Ris was, hesitated. "Pretty bad. Let's get the others out of the restaurant before you check it out."

David looked at her. "What? Why?"

"Careful now," Trev interrupted them, helping an elderly couple over the rubble. Behind them came many of the other patrons of the restaurant, climbing their way through the wreckage. "There're a few back there to scared to move," he indicated with a jerk of his head.

"Got them," Jay said without hesitation and disappeared inside.

David and Eva went to help Trev. Finally, the restaurant was empty of all civilians – apart from the one Ris was healing and Jeanie. "That all of them?" David asked.

"Yep." Jay nodded. "Let's go check on the injury then."

Trev and Eva led the way, weaving a path past the debris, towards what looked to David like the worst hit of the restaurant. The target, he surmised and dropped to his haunches to see. "Eric!"

Ris nodded and her voice was grim as she replied; "looks like he was hit full on. Really bad burns and he was barely breathing by the time we found him. A few more minutes and this would be a resurrection."

"Jeanie?" David couldn't stop his panic from edging through.

Trev nodded to a still form David hadn't noticed before. Fear bubbled up in his throat but Trev clamped a hand on his wrist before he could move. "She's all right. Just got knocked out, I think during the initial blast. I took care of some of her more serious injuries; the Power took care of the rest."

David looked at the visor masking Trev's expression from him and knew his cousin was just as afraid, if not more, for Jeanie. He nodded, told himself to get his act together. It wouldn't do anyone any good to fall apart.

He looked at Eva. She'd said once if he needed, he could lean on her. He did so now, gratified when she took his weight, sliding an arm around his waist to hold him in place. "She's going to be fine," she murmured, "you heard Trev."

"Yeah, I know. I just need…" He saw Jay looking at them and straightened, shooting a glare he hoped was searing enough for Jay to feel through both their visors. Evidently not from the cocky way Jay set his shoulders as he looked away.

"Anyone got any ideas what happened here?" He asked.

Eva seemed unsurprised by his sudden change in attitude, her arm slipping away as she answered in an even voice; "Most of the civilians said it was a sudden attack. One blast and then they – it was gone."

"From Eric's injuries, the blast was concentrated," Ris said. "You know, most of the lasers that hit us are wide spread, aimed to take out as many of us at one time. This one was small, aiming to take out only one target."

They all stared at her. Finally feeling their collective gaze, she lifted her head, looked back at them. "What?"

Jay shook his head. "Nothing." He looked at Trev. "Well?"

Trev shrugged. "Don't look at me, I didn't tell her anything of that sort. Though it does seem like a viable theory."

Ris snorted. "I came up with it myself, thank you very much."

"We're not calling you stupid Ris," Eva said. "It's just that…it sounds like a very Jeanie thing to say."

"Hey, I've hung out with her for seventeen years. I think some of her genius should have rubbed off on me."

"Seems it has," Jay said with a shake of his head. "Seems it has."

David snickered. "Jealous it hasn't rubbed off on you instead?"

Jay's hand shot out, caught David on the shoulder. "Shut up."

"Jeanie." Trev turned moments before the red head stirred, lifted her head with a low groan. He placed his hands on her shoulders, holding her down as she tried to get up. "Steady now. Careful. You might have a concussion."

She stared at him. "Trev? What? What're you…" she trailed off when memories slammed into her. "Eric! Oh my god, Eric, he was hit, where is –"

"It's okay," Eva soothed, pushing Trev slightly as Jeanie could sit up, running soothing hands down Jeanie's arms. "Ris is taking care of him now. He'll be all right."

She nodded, took a deep breath and let it out with "oh god, oh god, oh god."

"Jeanie." David took over, gave his cousin a short firm shake. "Eric's alive. You're alive. No one else got hurt. Think about that and _calm down_."

"I'm calm, I'm calm." She shoved her hair away from her pale face and stared into their expressionless visors. "I can't tell you what happened. I have no idea what the hell happened. One minute, we're eating dinner. The next minute, everyone's yelling and then nothing. I don't know what happened."

"One blast," Jay said grimly. "One blast. The monster was aiming at someone."

"Oh god." Jeanie paled further. "It was aiming at me. It must have been aiming to me. It was aiming at me and Eric got caught instead. Goddamnit!"

"No."

At Eva's voice, they all turned to look at her. She was shaking her head. "No it wasn't."

"Eva." David held out an arm, gratified when she raised her hand and braced herself on his forearm. "You saw?"

She nodded and he could just about see the grimace on her face. "Sometimes, having Knowledge is a bitch." She sighed, let her head drop back. "It wasn't aiming for you, Jeanie. It got its target." She lifted her head, opened her visor so Jeanie could see her eyes. "Bastard was aiming for Eric."


	5. Decision time

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

Eric was waking up. Ris's gift had done its work. His once burnt and cut body was now fully healed, his blackened skin the warm gold of before. Jay, Trev and Eva had volunteered and left, so that the Pink Ranger's absent wasn't so glaring.

They stood outside the restaurant in silence. "You sure?" Trev finally asked. Eva didn't have to look at him to know his gaze was trained on the hole that had once been the front of Simple Pleasures.

"Sure. Saw it all. I was, in my vision I was standing beside it when it aimed, when it fired."

"I don't get it." Jay leant against the building they loitered beside, crossed his arms over his chest. "How'd the monster only manage to hit Eric? From where Ris found him, he was near the middle of the restaurant. Should have hit at least half a dozen people."

Eva shook her head. "Not the way the restaurant's planned out. You can see every table clearly from the window front if you stand at a certain angle. The monster had a clear shot to Eric."

"Eric." Jay repeated. "That's another thing I don't get. Why Eric? Jeanie was there. Vulnerable. So why Eric?"

"Ssh," Trev said suddenly. They're coming."

Sure enough, Eric and Jeanie emerged from the ruins of the restaurant, accompanied by Ris and David, still morphed. Eric looked a little pale, a little shaky but well enough. David had Eric's arm around his shoulders, steadying him as they picked their way past the wreckage. Their words drifted over to the waiting rangers. "Careful now," Ris warned. "You'll probably feel a little weak for a few hours yet."

"I'm all right."

"No you're not," Jeanie cut in. "You were burnt to a crisp for God's sakes."

Eric's smile was wan. "And now I'm not. I'm all right Jeanie. Really."

"Think you can make it home?" David asked.

Eric nodded, half weakly. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"And I'll help him," Jeanie added, pulled Eric's free arm around her shoulders.

He made a face. "Jeanie…"

"Don't start being a masochist on me now. You're weak. You need help. Accept it."

He grinned, quick and bright, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Consider it accepted."

David laughed. "Be careful."

"We will," Jeanie promised and she and Eric moved off.

Jay, Trev and Eva joined David and Ris as Jeanie and Eric turned the corner. David looked at Eva. "Anything else?"

She shook her head. "It blasted and disappeared. No Frissons appeared with it."

"So it planned this."

"_Can_ Pleance's monsters plan anything?" Jay wondered aloud.

"They've shown no indication they could before this," Trev agreed. "But it doesn't hurt to think that Pleance does have the brains to make his monsters a little more intelligent."

"Great," David muttered. "Just what we need; brains as well as brawn."

"But why would it attack Eric?" Jay asked again. "What's the point? It's not like he's a threat to Pleance."

"To break Jeanie," Trev replied, his voice grim.

They all looked at him. "What?"

"To break Jeanie," he repeated. "You saw what she was like when she woke up. If we weren't there with her, she'd probably have lost it completely."

"Oh. Shit." Jay's voice was deadly quiet.

"Exactly." Trev crossed his arms.

"We need to discuss this with Jeanie," David said. "We can't draw any conclusions with Jeanie."

"And Dayton," Eva added. "We'll need Dayton's input on this as well."

"We'll tell him to call Jeanie, tell her to meet us in the command centre," David decided. He pressed his fingers to his morpher, to the _pressen_ that was moulded there. A small portal opened before him. One by one, the rangers followed his lead until four other portals shimmered beside David's. Moving as a team, they all stepped through at the same time.

* * *

They were waiting for her when she'd stepped through the portal that she'd opened in her room. It had taken nearly an hour to get Eric home. It had taken just as long to calm her parents down, assure them she was all right. And now she was exhausted and not at all wanting to participate in the discussion she knew was coming.

They didn't say a word when she appeared, as she walked down the stairs that led to the main room of the command centre their mentor called home, as she dropped onto the giant pink cushion awaiting for her.

Finally, David broke the silence. "You've figured out why it was aiming for Eric."

Jeanie found the energy to roll her eyes. "It wasn't that difficult. Brawns, the monster's got a lot of. Brains, not so much."

"Brains enough to hit you where it hurt the most," Trev pointed out.

She looked at him, eyes blazing. With anger. With hurt. With fear. "It could have aimed for anyone. My mum, my dad, my brothers, your families. Why Eric? Why go –"

"For the one person that can't defend himself?" Eva asked, her gentle voice breaking Jeanie's rant. "You care for Eric. Maybe you even love him a little. A girl's first love is always important to her. I remember mine," Eva added. "Point is, Pleance's monster went for the one person it knew was vulnerable to attack. The person you least expected it to attack."

"Everyone in your family, in our families, know how to take care of themselves in some small aspect," Trev pointed.

"Even Braden's got this little device thingy Uncle Cam gave mum and dad that creates a force field around him in case Pleance goes for him," Ris added.

"But no one thought he'd go for Eric," Jay said slowly, as he figured it out, "because he isn't part of family. Because he doesn't hold a big place in Jeanie's heart. But he does hold a place."

Jeanie buried her face in her hands. "It'll go for him again. And again and again, won't it?"

"And I can heal him again and again and again," Ris spoke in a sharply confidant voice.

"Not unless there are no remains," Dayton said, speaking for the first time. "If there are no remains, not even you can bring Eric back Marissa."

"Oh."

"Goddamnit. If I'm with him, I can protect him from the monster. Even unmorphed, I can take it. But what if I'm not with him." She paled abruptly. "Oh, god, what if it's there right now?"

"It is not Jeanie," Dayton said firmly. "Pleance cannot track anyone in this world apart from you six. It was only when you were with them, Marissa, that Pleance could take your parents. It is only when you are with Eric that the monster will be able to attack him."

"Oh. Oh." She slumped in her seat, face even paler. "So, I'm, what? A threat to him now?"

"Pleance's monster is the threat," Trev said sharply.

"But you're the homing device," David said, ignored the glare Trev sent his way when Jeanie paled even further. "We have to think about protection."

"What?" Jeanie's head swivelled to him. "Protection?"

"Yeah. Someway to keep him from being attacked when he's with you."

"Force field?" Ris suggested. "Like the one Braden has?"

Trev shook his head. "It'll take dad months to make a new one. He's been working on the one Braden has for years, refining it. He only managed to make the final adjustments about a week before Aunt Marah gave birth."

"One of us – apart from Jeanie – have to be with him. Morphed," David added.

"He'll wonder. He'll notice and he'll wonder." Jeanie said quietly. "I know, I know," she held up a hand when everyone but Dayton and Eva opened their mouths to protest. "We're ninjas. We grew up learning how to be invisible. But I'm not that great an actress. Small lies I can pull off, even a biggie like I'm a ranger. But knowing one of you guys is shadowing us everywhere, listening to everything we're saying, watching everything we're doing? No way I can hide that from him."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Trev asked, his voice tight. "You can't afford your identity to be compromised."

"You don't have to do anything," she snapped. "I never asked you to do anything."

Trev fell silent, paling slightly, as if he'd been knocked back physically. David shifted, taking Jeanie's attention so Trev could bring himself together again. "Jeanie, Eric needs to be protected as long as you're with him."

"So I won't be with him anymore."

Ris frowned. "What?"

Eva leaned forward. "You're not saying what I think you're saying."

"What?" Jay asked. "What _is_ she saying?"

"You're going to break up with him," Trev said in an abrupt voice.

"No." Jeanie shook her head. "I'm not going to. I don't want to break up with him."

"So what're you going to do?" Ris asked.

"I'm going to ask for a break."

David and Jay both blinked. "Isn't that the same thing?" David wondered aloud.

All the girls shook their head. "Taking a break isn't a complete break. It's like…time out." Jeanie decided.

The boys stared at them blankly. "Come on," Ris groaned. "Don't tell me you guys have _never_ taken a break from your girlfriends?"

"Never had one," Trev pointed out.

"Only ever had one," David muttered.

Jay shrugged. "Well, Amy mentioned a break but then she started going out with Derrick James so I figured that she meant break up when she said that."

Eva had gotten distracted. She stared at Trev. "You've never had a girlfriend?"

It was Trev's turn to shrug. "Never saw the point of having one. Too busy."

"Making out with his computers," Jeanie said in a caustic tone that caused Trev to glared at her.

"Like you're much better. Eric's your first boyfriend, remember?"

"Still sore because I beat you in that department, huh?"

David leapt to his feet, slapping his hand over Trev's mouth before he could retort. "Enough. This is _not_ the time to start slapping at each other. There is an innocent's life at stake here."

"And I have the perfect solution," Jeanie said. She glared at Trev. "If someone will stop being a total ass about it."

Trev tore David's hand from his mouth. "Fine. Do whatever."

"Trev, stop it," David said, his voice taking on a warning tinge. "Jeanie, is this really what you want to do?"

She shrugged. "No." She said quietly. "Not really. But I have no choice. Eric needs to stay protected. If me being with him means he'll be attacked then this is the only way to protect him. It's the only thing I _can_ do."


	6. Monday

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

Shane walked past the window that overlooked his backyard, paused, backtracked and stared. Jay was playing football. But that wasn't what surprised him. Jay played football all the time. It was who he was playing with; David – again, not surprising – and Trev – which was surprising. To the best of his knowledge, Trev hadn't played football with either of his same age cousins for years, not ever since Cam had _finally_ given Trev his first laptop.

Shane wandered into his wife's study. It still amazed him that this pretty, talented, amazingly intelligent woman had agreed to go out with him, let alone marry him. She worked as a law professor, as into academics as he was into the physical. They matched like Carla and Hunter; balancing each other out in a way no one else had. Just the very thought made him content.

"Hey. Made you coffee."

Jasmine arched her brows even as she accepted the steaming mug, lifted it to her lips. "That's nice. What's the occasion. Or, more likely, what've you done now?"

Shane rolled his eyes. "Ever so suspicious." With a grin, he eased his hip onto her desk. "Okay, okay, I made it for myself, saw something I needed an answer to and came here. Decided I might as well give you coffee to sweeten the deal."

She laughed, put the mug down. "There's the man I love." She lifted her head, he leaned down and gave her the kiss she was expecting. "What's the question?"

"What's Trev doing here?"

Jasmine's brows rose again. "When have you ever needed to ask that question?"

"Sorry. Rephrase; what's Trev doing here, playing football?"

Jasmine smiled at that. "The same reason I imagine you occasionally attack the punching bag in our gym. To work out some frustration. David and Jay probably decided it was better for him to work out the frustration on them then alone, where he might hurt himself."

"Oh." Shane frowned, wondered over to one of the windows. It, too, overlooked the backyard. He couldn't completely hide the wince when Trev took Jay down in a brutal tackle. "Wonder what's made him so frustrated?"

Jasmine got up, joined him at the window. "What made you really, really frustrated at his age?"

"Lothor," Shane replied instantly.

"Other than him."

"Oh." That took Shane a while. He shrugged. "Girls, I guess."

Jasmine's smile was a little curl of feminine satisfaction. "Exactly."

Down below, unaware they were being watched, David had the ball, and was running for the imaginary line between two shoes for a touchdown. Their game was simple; whoever had the ball ran for the line. There were no teams and the whole point was to avoid the two coming at them. David twisted to avoid Trev's charge but couldn't dodge Jay's. He grunted as he went down hard. They grappled, and Trev nipped in, grabbed the ball and ran for the line.

David and Jay managed to extricate themselves and ran for him. David went with a flying tackle, grabbing him around the knees. Trev let out a startled cry, the ball going up as he went down. With hardly a pause, Jay caught the ball as it spun through the air, tucked it under his arm and ran the last of the way. He touched down, let out a whoop and began a boogie as David and Trev got off the ground.

The latter two looked at each other, nodded, and went for him. Mid-whoop, Jay spotted them, and ran. They were all laughing like mad when they brought him to the ground.

With a gasp, Trev rolled to his back, threw his arm over his eyes. "Goddamnit, Jay. That was my ball."

"Free ball," Jay countered, still on his belly, where they'd taken him down. "It was in the air. Free ball," he repeated.

"Damn you Jay. _I_ took him down." David muttered, lying on his side, eyes half closed. "I did all the damn work."

Jay's reply was a loud raspberry.

"Nice, Jay."

Jay winced at his dad's voice, peered up at his broad shouldered figure. "Hi dad."

Shane smirked, sat down with a soft sigh. "I won't tell your mum as long as you keep your mouth shut about that little incident a couple of days back."

Jay's grin was as bright as his dad's. "No problem."

"So…" Shane leant back on his hands, crossed his ankles and looked at the boys sprawled over his backyard. "How's it going?"

"Jay cheated."

"Did not," Jay shot back and glared at Trev. "He's just sore because I caught the free ball."

"Urgh. Shut up already," David groaned. Shane couldn't help but be amused when the two boys did just that.

"You're not going again?" Shane asked.

"Getting boring," Jay complained. "You take one guy down, the other grabs the ball and goes for touchdown."

"Like you did," Trev muttered.

Shane grinned. "Want to make teams? Me and Trev against you and David."

David rolled onto his belly, pushed up on his elbow and considered. "Loser had to ask Aunt Jasmine to make lunch."

Shane laughed. "Deal."

* * *

Monday. School day. First day of the week. Jeanie was beginning to hate it.

All day, she'd managed to avoid Eric. The conversation coming up was one she wanted to put off for as long as possible. But, when the bell rang for lunch and she left her classroom to find Eric waiting for her, she knew she couldn't put it off any longer.

"Hey," he said, smiling easily. "Where've you been all day? I haven't seen you."

Jeanie took a deep breath, took a step back when he made to kiss her cheek. In his eyes, she saw hurt and confusion and hated that she was the one to put it there. But she had no choice. Damnit. Damn Pleance. "We need to talk."

Eric's face closed up. Obviously, he understood exactly what she meant by that. "All right," he replied in an even voice. "Shall we find somewhere private?"

She nodded and let him the lead the way. They wound their way past clusters of teenagers, past emptying classrooms until they found a deserted one. "Here," Eric decided and pushed the door open.

Jeanie preceded him into the room, turned and watched him close the door. This was going to be so hard. "What's wrong? Are you all right?" He paused. "Is this about what happened Saturday night?"

"No. Well. Kind of." God. What could she say? She forced herself to look at him, knew she had to maintain eye contact or else she might break. "Look, Eric. I think…I think we need a break."

"You're breaking up with me."

Jeanie couldn't help but wince at his flat tone. "No. Not a total break up, Eric. Just…a break from each other, you know?"

"No. I'm sorry Jeanie, but no. I don't."

"Eric…"

He moved past her, turned to stare out the windows. "You've already broken up with me once before, Jeanie. I don't – I don't want to take a break, and to wonder if it's permanent or not, if you'll actually come back to me or not. I'm sorry Jeanie, I can't take that. Not again." He turned back to look at her. "I'm sorry Jeanie. Either we're on…or we're not.


	7. After the Talk

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

Trev found Jeanie in the park, sitting at the picnic table they habitually took over when they were in the park. They'd been going to the park less and less often. Another thing to lay the blame on Pleance's shoulders, Trev thought, along with everything else.

Jeanie sat on the bench, head buried in arms braced on the scarred wooden table. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and arms, hiding pretty much everything but revealing the back of her neck. It was this Trev ran the very tips of his fingers over as he sat down next to her.

She didn't look up but she tilted her face so one bright blue eye peeked through. He wondered when she'd dropped her glasses and began wearing contacts. He wondered why he hadn't noticed before and wondered if he'd purposely chosen not to notice. "Hey."

She didn't answer and it hurt him more than he cared to admit. So he gathered the calm, the cool, he'd inherited from his father, translated it into expressionless on his face. "I gather your talk with Eric didn't go as planned."

She shrugged, and that bright blue disappeared. "We're over."

Trev forced himself to lift an eyebrow. He knew she couldn't see it but it was the principal of the thing. "Wasn't that the whole point?"

"No!" Suddenly she sat up and he saw, a shock to his entire system, that she'd been crying and was starting to again. "You don't get it do you? We're _over_. As in finished, done with, terminated. He dumped me."

Something in him broke at the miserable look on her face, another part of him crowed at the fact she was free and single at _last_. He squashed the latter and let the former take hold. It had him reaching out, gathering her into his arms – not without resistance. He rubbed her stiff shoulders, leaning his chin on the aforementioned shoulders and told himself it was inappropriate to bury his face in her hair. "I'm sorry," he said. "We both know I didn't much like Eric, liked less you going out with him, but you liked him and that's what matters, so I'm sorry."

She broke. With a muffled gasp which she hid in his shoulder, her arms came up, hugged him tight, her shoulders shaking as she cried. Trev held her tighter, rocked them both and wished like hell he could do more.

The monster appeared suddenly, without Frissons. Trev flung out his arm, yelled, "_now!_" and pushed off the bench, making sure to land on the ground with Jeanie on him. He rolled on the ground, away from the picnic bench, as the monster's laser seared the spot they'd sat. Jeanie's head jerked up and she stared with wet wide eyes as the other rangers – fully morphed – attacked the monster.

"What?"

"Sorry," Trev said, still beneath her. "We couldn't tell. We didn't want you to worry."

"This was…" she glared down at him, narrowed her eyes in a look he well recognised. "You planned this."

He couldn't hide the wince. "I'm sorry. It was the only way."

She lifted her fist, thumped him in the shoulder hard enough he knew he was going to bruise. "You _idiot_. You could have been hurt! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Well, I didn't and it worked. Come on, the others'll need our help." He pushed at her until she shifted and he could sit up. "Are you going to get up any time soon?"

"One minute."

When she lifted her hand again, he braced himself. And was still caught completely unawares when she cupped his cheek, leant in and brushed her lips over his brow. "Thank you," she whispered. Then she got off him, looked down. "Ready?"

He sat still for a moment, just a moment, staring up at her. Then her lips curled in a smirk and his sense snapped back. He scrambled to his feet, assumed the position. "Ready!"

"Unicorn Rider, Ranger Form!"

"Centaur Rider, Ranger Form!"

Lights in their respective colours enveloped them and when they faded away, the two rangers were fully morphed and revving for action. They launched themselves into the fight.

Frissons had appeared and Eva was battling them with Ris. Jeanie, unusually, ran past them, knocking away any Frissons that got in the way. Her target was obvious; the monster.

"That's not like Jeanie," Ris commented, jumping into the air to avoid a Frisson sweeping her off her feet, performing a roll in mid air and coming out of it with her leg thrust out, slamming into another's face.

"It's personal this time," Trev said, simple dispensing of the Frisson attacking him with a punch to its jaw.

Eva grabbed another Frisson's shoulder, locking it so its arms – with their deadly sharp claws – waved madly to its sides while she punched it on its nose. "It's always personal."

"More this time," Trev amended. "She wants revenge. And I know Dayton says we shouldn't fight for revenge but you know what?" He kicked a Frisson on the knee, lashed backwards with his other leg to catch another on the belly and whirled, slamming his fist into its face. As it shattered, showering him with glittering remains, he finished; "I say let her have her revenge."

Jeanie jump kicked, aiming for the monster's head. She hit her target and bent her body mid air so she landed on her hands and pushed up, landing on her feet. David kicked the monster on its side, Jay pummelled its torso with his fists.

With a roar, it threw them off, tried to launch another laser which they easily avoided. Jay fell back panting. "You know what?" He swiped his helmet, where his mouth would be. "I'm getting really sick of this. I want to blow this asshole to smithereens _now_."

"You know Jay," Jeanie said, fists lifted as she watched the monster and David go one on one, "for once you and I are in perfect agreement. Unicorn's Slings!"

"Minotaur's Sabre!"

David, too, called for his weapon; "Dragon's Sword!"

David and Jay attacked the monster, while Jeanie provided cover fire. They kept their attack ferocious, so it was too distracted to think about transporting itself up. While Jeanie swung her slings, and a ball of pink form in the space the rubber cradles would be, the others came up.

"Now that's an idea," Eva commented. She held out her hand. "Griffin's Bow!"

"Phoenix's Daggers!"

"Centaur's Staff!"

Ris and Trev threw themselves into the battle with the monster while Eva and Jeanie provided more cover fire. Pink and blue lasers raced over the monster's body while it bled from the slashes from David's, Jay's, and Ris's blades.

Suddenly, Trev dropped down, swept it off its feet with a whirl of his staff. David slammed his sword into its paw – it let out a screech of pain – and pulled it out, dropping back to join Jeanie and Eva. The others followed suit.

"Spirit Cannon?"

"Duh," was Jeanie's opinion and they put their weapons together.

As the monster struggled to its feet, David called out, "brace yourselves. Ready…aim…"

"Bye-bye bastard," Jeanie finished and they pulled the trigger.

The monster gained its feet as a swirling mass of grey shot from the cannon's mouth, aimed straight for it. It didn't have time to even scream before it was enveloped and exploded.

David panted, leaning on his sword once it had separated from the rest. "Okay, guys, quick breather while Pleance resurrects the damn thing."

"Fucking asshole," Jay muttered.

Everyone wholeheartedly agreed as the monster's remains began to glow – marking its resurrection.

"Red Dragon Zord!"

"Black Minotaur Zord!"

"Yellow Phoenix Zord!"

"Blue Griffin Zord!"

"Pink Unicorn Zord!"

"Green Centaur Zord!"

The Zords appeared with a low rumble, a shaking of the earth. The rangers looked back and up and, sure enough, there they were. Red, black, yellow, blue, pink and green, with glowing gold eyes, they were massive, part creature part machine with one purpose. Destruction.

The rangers jumped, to a height no normal human could ever hope to achieve, and were drawn into their respective Zords' cockpit. The Unicorn, with Jeanie directing its moves with just a though, struck first, galloping forward with its horn down. "Pink Unicorn, Slashing Horn!" The Unicorn twisted its head from side to side, cutting an 'x' on the monster's chest. It skittered back as the 'x' exploded and the monster howled in pain. A laser blasted out, caught Jeanie and her Zord on the side. She went down, would have crashed into the ground if not for Jay and his Minotaur's Zord. "Steady," he warned.

"Yeah," Jeanie replied with gritted teeth. "Steady."

The monster was now blasting lasers liberally, hitting everything but the Zords. "Damnit." David steadied his Dragon after he'd rolled it in mid-air to avoid a laser. "It's destroying the park."

"Like it suddenly becoming a huge monster suddenly hasn't?" Trev asked, grunting as he forced his Centaur Zord forward, racing through the lasers. It grabbed the monster, grappled with it before pushing it towards Jay.

Jay ducked his Minotaur's head, so the monster landed on its horns. With a lift and a toss, the monster went flying. "Where'd you send it?" Ris asked.

"Where else? The quarry."

* * *

They arrived as one, just as the monster was struggling out of a crater. "That's new," Eva commented. "Was it there before?"

"No," Trev said. "I'm guessing the monster created it when it fell."

"Fat ass," Ris said and giggled.

Jay laughed and, his Minotaur's head down, charged. The monster grabbed it by its horns, literally swung it into the quarry wall. As the black Zord disappeared in a burst of dust, Ris launched her yellow one into the air. "Yellow Phoenix, Nova Blast!"

The stream of fire erupted from its beck, caught the monster in its flame. Eva's Griffin, circling overhead with the Phoenix, attacked on her own command; "Blue Griffin, Sonic Scream!"

The monster stumbled back as explosions raced over its body. Trev raced in, the Centaur's hands forming a cup from which its attack erupted. "Green Centaur, Mage's Fury!"

The monster stumbled back, roared and let out another laser that caught Trev head on. He went rolling head over hooves. Jeanie cursed, the Unicorn surged forward, and its horn sliced the monster on its belly. Jay's Minotaur charged from the wall of the quarry, shaking itself free of the dust as it did.

"Black Minotaur, Ebony Blast!"

The Minotaur's mouth dropped open, a blast as darker than the modern night exploded from it, slamming into the monster, sending it flying back. The Minotaur skidded to a stop and let out a low bellow.

"My turn," David decided and, with a sweep of its huge wings, launched his Zord in the air. "Red Dragon, Air Slam!"

Red filled the air as the wind swirled, and the Red Dragon swooped in, claws digging into the monster as David dragged it through the air. Cutting short the howling tornado with a sudden twist, the Dragon Zord released the monster, allowing it to plunge towards the earth.

As it hit the ground with another crater inducing crash, the rangers gathered their Zords at the quarry's side.

"Form the Megazord?" Jeanie asked.

"Form the Megazord," David confirmed.

At those words, the Zords moved of their own accord, shifting, changing and combining. The Minotaur Zord became the Megazord's legs and torso, the Unicorn and Centaur becoming its arms, the Phoenix and Griffin joining to becoming wings that exploded from its back and the Dragon began its head, with eyes that glowed fierce as any fire. And the rangers found themselves in the same silver cockpit with lines of their colours swirling and combining.

"Lava flame!" Trev and Jeanie called out the attack together while Ris and Eva sent the Megazord flying with one thought. In the air, the Megazord released its column of pure fire.

The monster, stranded on the ground, let loose a laser. The Megazord's lava flame easily decimated the laser, slammed into the monster. It rocked back as the ground surrounding it seared from the heat.

Jay shifted the Megazord's body, ad, working in tandem with everyone, had the Megazord charging the monster, its wings giving it a powerful thrust. As it approached the monster, David called for their weapon; "Spirits' Sword!"

The sword appeared from the tip up, the hilt solidifying last, its blade clear as ice and far more deadly than any man made weapon. The giant robot lifted it, held it with both hands, and the wings flapped faster and faster.

The monster let out one last desperate laser, which they deflected with the sword. Then they were on it.

The sword fell in one graceful arc, cutting the monster nearly in half. Its last bellow nearly deafened the rangers as it exploded.


	8. Fine

**Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to Haim Saban/Disney**

* * *

Trev was sitting at their usual table outside the school. His laptop was in front of him, his glasses were falling down his nose, and he was typing away furiously. Probably creating yet another program to prevent tracking worms. Jeanie couldn't stop the smile curling her lips. He looked so geeky cute, she decided, with his dark hair all messed up, his almond shaped eyes narrowed in concentration, a little frown curving his lips. He was dressed in green as usual; a light green shirt with a white, long sleeved t-shirt underneath it. The shirt was neatly pressed, the t-shirt was crumpled and pushed up to his elbows. The only pieces of jewellery he wore were his bracelet-cum-morpher and the necklace she'd given him as a gag gift years ago. They glinted in the sunlight.

"Hey." She slid onto the bench beside him, set her lunch on the table, peeked at the screen. "What're you working on?"

"Internet worm," he replied without taking his eyes off the screen or his fingers off the keyboard. "Bastard tried to put a Trojan into my computer. Hah. Tracing it back to its origin and then we'll see how much the asshole likes Trojans."

Jeanie rolled her eyes. Trust Trev to strike back. "What're you planning?"

"Email. Trojan horse, out spills out soldiers, all carrying flaming sticks. Make it look like they're burning the computer inside out so screen goes black slowly. That should freak them out well enough."

Amused, Jeanie leaned on the table, idly made comments while Trev refined his search and put the finishing touches to his email bomb. The fall of footsteps told Jeanie the others were approaching and when she looked up, sure enough, there they were, David and Ris holding trays, Jay and Eva holding their packed lunches.

They sat down, Ris climbing on top of the table as usual. Jay sprawled on Trev's other side, nudging the green ranger's bag further down the bench. Eva and David settled on the opposite side of the table, David handing Ris her plastic utensils. "What's Dexter working on now?" Jay asked, prying open his container.

"Internet worm," Jeanie replied and swiped some of Eva's fries.

"I don't want to know," David decided and bit into a pickle Eva offered him.

"Hey, hey," Ris wriggled once everyone's attention was on her. "There's this motocross race this weekend and – hey!" She said when everyone groaned.

"Come on. Not motocross again. When're we going to a skating competition?" Jay complained.

"Or a surfing one?" David added.

"How about none of those and we got to this car fair?" Eva blinked when they stared at her. "What? I like cars!"

As the conversation devolved into an argument over who's past time was more fun, Jeanie caught Trev's eye, smirked. He smirked right back, then nudged his laptop over while he dragged her tray towards him. As he ate, she went over his worm, fine tuning some points, tweaking others.

She glanced up when she heard Ris burst out laughing, and stilled. Eric was walking past, with a group of friends she knew but didn't hang out with. And damn their ninja-cum-ranger, her friends all turned to look.

David turned back. "You all right."

When Trev closed over hers, she smiled. When David slapped Jay's hands away from Eva's fries, she laughed. "Yeah," she decided. "I'm going to be just fine."

* * *

_A/N: I just thought I should give a heads up that this is very near the end of the series. There'll probably be three, four tops episodes coming after this. I'm afraid I'm running out of ideas for the series and I feel it's a time for it to come to a head. Thank you for reading my stories so far and all the feed back. I hope you'll read the upcoming episodes and I'll try to put them up at a reasonable time. Thank you.  
_


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